THE LIVING THEATRE & SYMBOLIC CAPITAL By
OVERTURNING MAMMON: THE LIVING THEATRE & SYMBOLIC CAPITAL by Peter Wood BA, Rhode Island College, 2000 MA, University of Maryland, 2004 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Te Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences in partial fulfllment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2016 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE DIETRICH SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Tis dissertation was presented by Peter Wood It was defended on March 3, 2016 and approved by Peter Karsten, Professor, History Lisa Jackson-Schebetta, Assistant Professor, Teatre Arts Dissertation Co-Advisor: Michelle Granshaw, Assistant Professor, Teatre Arts Dissertation Co-Advisor: Bruce McConachie, Professor Emeritus, Teatre Arts ii Copyright © by Peter Wood 2016 iii OVERTURNING MAMMON: THE LIVING THEATRE & SYMBOLIC CAPITAL Peter Wood, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2016 Abstract: Overturning Mammon: Te Living Teatre and Symbolic Capital focuses on the frst thirteen years of the Living Teatre, founded by Judith Malina and Julian Beck. Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of cultural production provide the theoretical tools to approach the company as a cultural producer and not only as theatre artists. Te Living Teatre has produced largely unpopular avant-garde and political theatre for seventy years. I argue that the company’s early years demonstrate a growing reserve of symbolic capital that helps explain the company’s longevity. Furthermore, the manner in which certain events in the company’s history have been mythologized, by company members, critics, and scholars, has led to some historically inaccurate accounts. In particular, accounts of the closing of the company’s production of Te Brig in 1963 and the subsequent trial of Beck and Malina in 1964 have often been infuenced by an acceptance of company member’s anecdotal, “tall tales” approach to history rather than historical evidence and archival documents.
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